Hardened, suspected militants No one can ban visitation right: PHC

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) ruled on Wednesday that the authorities could not impose ban the visitation right of relatives with the hardened and suspected militants imprisoned in internment centres as the government had allowed this right.
“We are well aware of the terrorism incidents and country’s security situation. But we cannot deprive the relatives of the hardened and suspected militants of the visitation right as the government has given them this right in the special law of Action (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation 2011 for Fata and Pata,” the PHC chief justice said while hearing cases of relatives seeking visitation right with internees.
Earlier, the high court had passed a general order and directed the authorities concerned to allow the relatives to meet the internees, who have been declared “black” and “grey” under the special law. The court had also directed provision of best medical facilities to the internees.
Additional Advocate General (AAG) Waqar Ahmad and Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Musarratullah informed the bench that the petitioner, Haleema, had already met the internees, Amjad Ali and Fazal Subhan, in an internment centre and both were declared black.
The law officers representing the provincial and federal governments submitted before the bench that as per the reports two missing persons, Amanullah and Said Rehman, were not found in the internment centres.
The bench was also informed that two missing persons including Muhammad Tariq and Abdul Khaliq were found in the internment centre in Ekkaghund in Mohmand Agency. The court issued a notice to the political agent Mohmand Agency and assistant political agent Ekkaghund to submit progress report about the missing persons shifted to the internment centre.
The bench, in cases of other missing persons, sought replies from the ministries of interior and defence and secretary home and tribal affairs before the next hearing.
Meanwhile, another bench of the high court comprising Justice Nisar Hussain and Justice Musarrat Hilali issued a notice to federal secretary petroleum and natural resources and asked him to explain why gas connections were not being provided to the people of PK-10 in Peshawar city.
A resident of PK-10, Arab Sher, had filed writ petition through his lawyer Adnan Sher, seeking gas connections for the constituency.